The Journey Continues: Tossing Stones
"But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, 'Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.' Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground." — John 8:6b-8 NIV There are plenty of instances in the Gospels of Jesus showing profound compassion as He healed people—whether restoring someone from an illness, mending a deformity, or driving out demons. For me, however, one of the greatest examples of His compassion happens when a woman caught in adultery is brought before Him by the Pharisees and teachers of the law. The accusers had a blatant ulterior motive. They didn't want truth; they wanted a trap. If Jesus chose to condemn the woman as the Law of Moses required, He would be inciting a violent act against a vulnerable person. But if He chose to reject the required sentence, it would imply that He endorsed the woman's sin and disregar...
